Eatery - Anaheim White House (CA)

I remembered hearing about this place a long time ago as a restaurant of high caliber. It was pricey to go here, and the food was said to be superb. I had put it on my list of places to go but never made the commitment until recently when there was a Groupon for it. Duc snagged one, and we finally made time to get a little fancied up to eat. On a Thursday night, it was quite empty at 6pm but toward the end of the night, it got much busier. If it got any busier, we would've had a lot of trouble with other guests since the tables were so close to each other. The decor, as others on Yelp mentioned, was a tad tacky but I wouldn't say it was gag-inducing. It just wasn't as classy as hoped.

We started with the portobello mushroom ravioli. Two pieces for over $10 is quite expensive, particularly for ravioli that wasn't anything special. It was served with glace and green peppercorns over sautéed locally grown spinach but really, the peppercorn was the most flavorful part. We both felt that it was okay but nothing to rave about.

My entree was the 7 oz. Romeo & Juliet filet mignon served on polenta with mashed potatoes on the side and some sort of crisp, cracker structure. I think it was supposed to be a swan? Anyhow, the presentation was a bit over-the-top considering the food. There were also diced green and red bell peppers scattered on the plate for, in my opinion, no reason whatsoever. So the mashed potatoes tasted instant, and the polenta basic. The steak was actually cooked well; I had asked for medium rare and except for the very center of it (slightly raw), it was prepared as asked. I didn't really taste the cheesy sauce on top but the surface of the steak itself had a nice flavor. Was it worth the $34 though? Hardly.

Duc got the Brasato Piemontese (he made me order it so I could pronounce it in Italian, hah) which is their signature dish - boneless beef short ribs braised three hours in an Italian Barolo reduction topped with a touch of a horseradish. It was pretty good, and I actually liked the reduction on it. Worth the money? Again, sorry to the chef but it can't really be all that costly can it?

Per suggestions from Yelpers, we had the chocolate soufflé complete with Crème Anglaise, chocolate ganache, and Chantilly whipped cream which were added on by our waiter. Delicious. Really. I think it was a great finish to a meal that was good but not great. Afterward, Duc shared with me one of his favorites wines at home which I thoroughly enjoyed; one of my favorite now too! I mean, you know what they say, "Once you have Gewürztraminer, other wines seem obscener."